Feeling Tired for No Reason? Here are the Top Signs of Adrenal Fatigue (Burnout)

Having an abundance of energy is something we all aspire for. However with the pace in which life moves sometimes, added with the layers upon layers of building stress, there are many people suffering on a productivity and overall energy level.

We can all think back to our early 20s and recall not even having to think about our energy, as it was something we just had.

Yes, it maybe took us some time to get up and moving upon waking up, however usually within an hour or two (or maybe after that first cup of coffee) we felt alert and ready to take on the remainder of the day.

However I know how frustrating it can feel when your mind and body aren’t operating at the level you deep down know it’s capable of.

I’ve personally experienced times of extreme decreases in my energy, leading to not only declines in my work performance, but also an overall uncomfortable and underlying feeling of anxiety or worry around where it was leading me to.

As a Personal Health Coach specifically for highly sensitive and creative professionals, this is one of the top issues that the vast majority of my clients are in the middle of experiencing when we start our work together.

Can you relate to this yourself?

If so, here are 7 surefire signs of adrenal fatigue or insufficiency, with also a link at the end for a self-test to determine if you may not only have it, but to what degree if so.

1.Trouble Getting Up in the Morning

Is it an absolutely chore getting up every morning? Does it feel like regardless of how much sleep you got the night before, you still frequently wake up craving more?

I know the feeling.

I even remember at one period of time being so exhausted that I called into work two days in row, just so I could lay in bed and rest.

The thing was, I had no clue as to why I continuously felt like this.

I was getting into bed by a decent hour, and even had routines of reading for 20 minutes to induce even more of a calm and relaxed state.

However for a period of time, I’d still consistently wake up feeling as if I barely slept at all the previous night.

This directly leads into the next sign of adrenal insufficiency.

2. High Dependency on Coffee or Soda to Keep You Going

Coffee can heighten our brains ability to concentrate and overall increase our energy when taken in the right dosages.

However, do you find your consumption to overtime continuously increase?

That was definitely me.

In the past I started with one single k-cup from my then Keurig coffee machine, but over time that ended up leading into a daily average ranging anywhere from 4-6 k-cups (2-3 in the AM and usually the same again just after lunch).

Why?

Because I wasn’t able to function or continue doing my work without it.

I was highly dependent upon it not only to help me wake up and get my day started, but to also keep me from feeling completely tired and lethargic everyday post lunch.

On days when I tried to experiment by leaving it out, I could barely keep my eyes open.

My productivity, which was still well above average (if compared to my peers), was still only at a fraction of what I knew I was capable of.

It felt like my body needed more and more caffeine in order to supply me with any semblance of the energy I needed.

If you can relate, then this is another sign you may be experiencing burnout.

3. Feeling Rundown and Stressed

There’s a big difference between having stressful moments vs. feeling prolonged stress from the time you wake up in the morning, until you close your eyes for bed in the evening.

When I was dealing with adrenal fatigue I often felt like the day was not only a blur, but I also found I became very sensitive to stress. It felt like my life was in a constant state of survival.

I became extremely impatient and would even find the smallest of daily tasks to be stressful.

One of the first things I do every morning is create a list of all the activities I need to complete by the end of the day.

While this was usually simple and only required a handful of minutes to complete, when I was experiencing adrenal fatigue it was a chaotic event.

It felt as if my brain was just not working.

I even found just thinking and planning to be tiring.

And while continuously in this state, I felt my creativity take a hit as well. I usually prided myself on forming new ideas and effortlessly using my intuition to bridge complex human patterns to create powerful systems that served others.

However this wasn’t felt with hardly any of the same vigor when I felt overstressed.

While acute levels of stress are normal and apart of everyday life, chronic stress continuously breaks the body down and caused me to habitually feel more and more rundown.

This isn't normal, but as this state continues to build and build, the body actually starts to adapt to it. Which can make it even that more difficult for the brain to over time create a brand new (and more uplifting) pattern around it.

Which just so happens to be the exact thing we need the most.

4. Trouble Falling Asleep

Do you find yourself often feeling a burst of energy at around the same time you’re actively attempting to go to sleep?

Say between 10-11PM?

You have intentions of unwinding and falling asleep, so you can do your best to prevent waking up tired (you know, the same way you’ve been feeling for several months - - or even years in some cases) but the same frustrating and frequent occurrence happens around this same time.

You’re the definition of wired and tired.

Your body wants to rest but your mind feels fresh and full of energy.

The most disappointing thing about this state is not just how often it happens (on a nightly basis), but the mental stress of knowing and visualizing how tired you’re going to be when waking up early the next morning.

Out of all the signs I’ve mentioned above, this was probably the most difficult to deal with, as I’m already someone who naturally has a very active mind, which led to an absorbent amount of thoughts on thoughts on thoughts to continuously enter my psyche during what was supposed to be bedtime.

5. Craving Salty or Sweet Snacks

Do you demolish sour lays and onions potato chips (or maybe the bomb sea salt & vinegar ones)?

If you’re like I was and currently dealing with adrenal fatigue, then you may notice a marked increase in your cravings for salty or sweet snacks.

Growing up I always had a sweet tooth; as I was no stranger to consistently eating donuts, honey buns, and cakes on a daily basis.

However, during my time of adrenal insufficiency, I was likeCookie Monster from Sesame Street when it came to salted potato chips.

I could literally house an extra large bag each and everyday.

It felt euphoric and gut wrenching all at the same time.

It was almost as if I had no control at all of my cravings either.

If I was out I would sometimes go the store in the late evening hours just to buy an additional bag and crush it right before bedtime.

Without going too deep into the science behind this, the main reason this occurs when one has adrenal fatigue is due to an underproduction of the hormone aldosterone, which leads to low blood pressure, salt cravings, and increased bloating.

6. Decreased Sex Drive

Got libido?

If dealing with a severe case of adrenal fatigue, then your answer is likely to lean towards an emphatic no.

This is not the most confidence inducing state, especially when experiencing this in your late 20s or early 30s.

Admittedly having experienced this after effect multiple times,I know how it is to feel frustrated and inadequate with your male member.

“I thought we was family.”

“You know, we’re supposed to look after one another.”

While funny on the surface, these were a couple thoughts I often had when not being able to keep or sustain an erection.

I was embarrassed.

I couldn’t bring this up to my other guy friends.

I had of course heard of Viagra, but I thought that was only for men in the 50+ age range.

The most disheartening aspect about it was that I had no absolute clue or idea whatsoever of what was happening inside of my body.

When this state is experienced long enough for most men, they end up contemplating or completely turning to HRT (hormone replace therapy).

Injections or testosterone creams that 100% truly only put a band aide on an underlying issue that has nothing to do with any inadequacy about themselves.

The short version is that it has to do with prolonged levels of high stress, leading to an overproduction of cortisol (stress hormone),which then promotes more production of estrogen (the primary female sex hormone), and this leads to decreases in testosterone and DHEA (which is the most anabolic, or muscle producing hormone in the body).

Our entire bodies and how they function are interconnected, and when one system is over stressed or taxed, especially the endocrine system(which is responsible for all hormone production and regulation in the body),then naturally other bodily systems are thrown off homeostasis too.

Which leads us in the 7th and final sign you may have adrenal insufficiency.

7. You’re Not Having Fun Anymore

No matter what you do or how much you genuinely try to be happy or enjoy certain activities (even those in the past that brought you extreme joy), you’re ultimately just not able to have fun.

You’re not doing this intentionally or on purpose, as you truly want to have fun.

However it feels like no matter what or how hard you try, you just feel “blah”

I compare this feeling to being a human breathing machine.

It’s as if the only sensation you feel inside of your body is it breathing.

There's no genuine states of ecstatic happiness and very small glimpses (if any) in terms of moments of joy.

You desire so deeply to get back to the former version of yourself.

You dream about it.

It's constantly in the back of your mind during your waking state.

It's safe to say you may actually even be consumed by it.

You’re ambitious and believe in yourself; therefore you haven’t (and never will) give up.

However your patience is running at an all-time low and all you really really want is to authentically enjoy life.

To get back to feeling like your normal self.

Even if it’s just a small fractional increase, you deeply, from the core of your entire being, want to develop more consistent control of your body and how to positively manage it. You realize that in order to feel authentically happy, it’s no longer an area that you can continue to just put on the back burner.

Having fun is a natural precursor to happiness, so you do your best to put yourself in positions to do so, but the same thing continues to happen on an emotional level.

Nothing.

“Blah.”

Does this sound like the current state you’re in?

Did you find yourself nodding your head up and down while going through most, if not every single sign?

Did you at all catch yourself multiple times wondering ifI’m a mind reader or have some special psychic like abilities?

Trust me, you’re not alone.

I’ve been there, a vast number of my clients have been there, and I know how isolating this state can feel.

The great part about this is that not only having personally gone through and overcome this state multiple times myself, I’ve also helped many clients do the exact same in reversing it.

I must keep it real with you though.

Just like it wasn’t created overnight, it’s not a quick overnight “fix” either.

However each and every person with the right mindset, is more than capable of completely transforming onto the healthier and more energetic side of the equation.

One – It takes commitment

Two – It requires fully prioritizing yourself and health first

Three – It takes a certain level of openness and trust in doing things completely differently than what has led you to this state in the first place

If this speaks directly to you, feel free to fill out this adrenal questionnaire to determine whether you may be in the low, moderate, or high state of adrenal fatigue.

Also, if you desire additional support in completely transforming your health from the inside out, you can click here to apply for a 30-minute Discovery Call to discuss more.

With Love,

Brandon